here tonight
by seemslikeaporno
Summary: It's the thought that counts. / Or, ten different endings to "A Christmas Tori". Multiple pairings.


**here tonight**

**summary**: It's the thought that counts. / Or ten different endings to "A Christmas Tori".  
><strong>disclaimer<strong>: victorious isn't mine, yo.

\

(_one_)

"I know it was you."

Jade looks up from her lap, where she's holding her brand new pair of scissors. She's still in her Santa suit from the performance, sitting against the lockers, waiting on Beck, who has run off somewhere with Robbie. She arches a pierced brow and peers at him through her eyelashes, coy smile on her lips.

"What was me?"

Andre laughs, setting down his bag and taking a seat beside her, close enough to her that she can feel his body heat. "Don't you play dumb with me, Jade. I can read you like a book." He smiles at her, "That was your idea, right? Singing my song."

"Did Tori tell you?" Jade asks, voice leveled as she holds his gaze. He can't make complete eye-contact with her; his gaze dances around her eyelashes and lips, makes her feel almost ethereal.

"That girl can't keep a secret." Andre shrugs, wide grin on his lips.

"No, she can't," Jade agrees halfheartedly, shaking her head, fingertips running along the edges of her scissors.

"Jade…" Andre starts, "Thanks."

She looks at him in a way that she doesn't look at anyone else; it's endearing, magical. Glorious.

"Don't get too sappy. Giving _you_ a Christmas gift was better than giving _her_ one."

(_two_)

"You suck." Robbie has his arms crossed over his chest and he's glaring at Beck. "You are the worst ever."

"Oh, come on," Beck says good-naturedly, putting books in his locker, "I didn't know she was going to steal your coffee money and ditch you for another dude."

"She is a _bully_, Beck. Bullies tend to do bullying things! _Especially_ to guys like me! It's in their nature!"

"You're the one who said you didn't want to tell her off because she was hot now," Beck reminds his friend, shutting the door to his locker and turning to Robbie, "And you _did_ get to do that, right? When she ran off with your money you said you screamed profanities at her, yeah?"

"Still…" Robbie says, leaning against the wall with a frown. He lets out a frustrated sigh, "I didn't get a coffee."

"Well, come on," Beck says, putting his hand on Robbie's shoulder, "I'll buy you a Christmas Coffee to make up for it, okay?"

Robbie purses his lips, allowing Beck to lead him down the hallway, "You can't buy my forgiveness, you know," he tells him matter-of-factly, "It's going to take more than one three dollar cup of coffee to make up for my nine years of emotional turmoil."

Beck chuckles, "Yeah, yeah."

(_three_)

"Looks like you're enjoying the cotton candy machine Robbie got you," Tori tells Cat after the redhead insists that Larry make them some after their performance. The hallways have mostly cleared out now that the school day is over, and Tori is waiting around in her Christmas attire as Cat bounces excitedly up and down.

"It's so yummy!" Cat says excitedly, grinning at Tori, "It's the best Christmas present ever!"

Tori smiles at her friend just as Larry holds out the first cone of cotton candy.

"Yay!" Cat says, grabbing it and tugging off a piece. Instead of putting it in her own mouth, she reaches over and pops it into Tori's, catching the second girl off guard. "Isn't it good?" Cat asks.

Tori allows the treat to melt on her tongue and licks the remaining part off of her lips. She looks at Cat, so excited and young, and ends up grinning as she nods.

"It's really sweet." Tori takes the cone from Cat to hold for herself as she indulges in the treat, "I have cotton candy flavored lip gloss," Tori says after a moment.

"No way! Let me borrow it!"

"Yeah right! It's my favorite flavor!" Tori giggles, "But in the spirit of Christmas, I'll let you try some." She sends a wink Cat's way; she wonders if she gets the message.

(_four_)

"No." Jade has said this at least forty times in the minute she has been standing with Sinjin in the doorway, where a sprig of _satanic_ mistletoe is hung.

"Come on," Sinjin says, "It's only fair. I didn't even plan this one."

"I am not kissing you, you little moss-haired freak," Jade growls, attempting to sidestep Sinjin for the third time, "_Move_, or I will cut you open with my new scissors."

Sinjin sighs, a deep frown accentuating his lips as he steps back to let Jade by, "You're disappointing the fates that brought us together for this."

"Yeah, whatever." Jade knocks into his shoulder with her own and heads down the hall. She goes about five steps before, relenting, she spins on her heel, stomps back over to Sinjin and grabs the collar of his shirt. She kisses him on his cheek then releases him. He stumbles into the doorframe, mouth open in shock. One of his hands goes up to touch the place on his face her lips had touched.

"Merry Christmas, weirdo," Jade says coolly, "And if you tell a soul about this I will personally shove that mistletoe into your eye."

(_five_)

"And…done!" Robbie says, flicking on the lights to the giant tree in the Vega household. The tree has been flocked, lighted, and decorated in a brilliant array of gold, red, green, white, and silver, and Robbie thinks it looks pretty damn good, if he says so himself.

Trina is standing next to the couch, her eyes twinkling in the lights, her mouth opened slightly in awe and pride. She sucks in a breath and lets it out. Robbie grins at her, stepping off the higher level to stand next to her and see the tree from her perspective.

"It looks…amazing," Trina says, finally, and Robbie finds himself staring at her instead of the tree; he's never seen Trina like this, so impressed and innocent and lovely. He likes it; he likes knowing that there is a soft spot for the holidays under her self-centered exterior. Well, sort of.

"It does," Robbie agrees after a moment, swallowing and turning his eyes back to the tree before she catches him staring at her. That's why, when a pair of arms lace around his waist, he is taken a little off-guard. For a moment, he's afraid to move, and he's glad he doesn't, because she leans her head on his shoulder.

He unsurely wraps one of his arms around her shoulder, and is even more surprised that she doesn't mind. Together, they stand and admire their work.

(_six_)

"Here," Jade says, shoving a box into Tori's unsuspecting hands so roughly that Tori almost drops it. "Butterfingers, much?" Jade smirks.

Tori glares at her, then down at the box, "What's this?" She asks, befuddled. Jade lets out an aggravated sigh.

"It's a _present_," Jade says in a voice that implies she might be talking to a three year old.

Tori looks at her suspiciously, "For me?"

Jade purses her lips. "No, it's for the _other_ Tori Vega." Tori lifts a brow in annoyance and Jade rolls her eyes, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, "Just _open_ it."

Tori thinks about this for a moment, then suddenly says, "No. No way! This is like, a bomb or something. You're trying to kill me!"

"Vega!" Jade cries, "You're making this even worse than it already is. It's not a bomb, so just _open_ it!"

Tori stares at Jade for a long moment, then, holding it at arm's length, she unsurely pulls the lid off of the box. When nothing pops out or explodes, Tori brings it close enough to peer inside; it's a silver ornament shaped like a microphone, probably worth about five or six dollars. She looks at Jade curiously, smile threatening to overcome her lips, "Why'd you get me this?"

"Because…" Jade sucks in a breath, "Because I felt bad about not really getting you anything for Secret Santa, okay?" She says this like it physically pains her to admit.

Tori is smiling now. "Aw, Jade has a soft spot for the holidays," she teases.

"Shut up before I return it."

(_seven_)

"Andre! Andre!" Cat yells, pushing her way through the crowd of people around him to throw her arms around his neck, "Did you like your present?"

Andre laughs, spinning the redhead around before setting her down and planting a kiss on the top of her head, "Best present ever. You all sounded awesome!"

Cat blushingly tugs on a strand of her hair, "Thanks!" She pauses for a moment, then holds up a small bag with some brown stuff in it, which she hands to him. He raises an eyebrow.

"Uh. Thanks?" He peers at it with uncertainty.

"It's Christmas Meat," Cat explains quickly.

"Cat, I appreciate it and all baby girl, but…"

"I made it," Cat says, "Since you said you were worried about my brother's cooking, and I figured you might have wanted some, and…" She trails off, cheeks reddening but a smile still present on her face, "Yeah, I made you some."

Andre stares at her for a moment as this processes. Then, grinning, he opens the bag and has a piece.

"Thanks," he says after he swallows. She beams.

The meat isn't very good, but it's the thought that counts.

(_eight_)

"Beck, I swear to God…"

"Shh, Jade, we're almost there."

"Beck, I _hate_ it when people cover my eyes. You _know_ I hate it. I _abhor_ it. I cannot _stand_ it. Why on earth are you so freaking intent on making me do things I don't like?"

"Well, if I don't cover your eyes, it'll ruin the surprise."

"How big is it?"

"That's what she said."

"Oh, very classy."

"I do not appreciate your sarcasm. Especially after I've gone through all this trouble to get you a gift."

"Seriously, could you not just wrap it?"

"I mean. I could have, I guess."

"Why didn't you?"

"That is classified information."

"You just wanted to torture me by making me wear a blindfold as you lead me to…wherever. Where are we going, by the way?"

"To my RV?"

"This feels like a long walk to your RV."

"Well, I may or may not have walked you around a few times."

"Uh. _Why_?"

"I don't know. You're cute when you're annoyed. We're here now, by the way."

"If this gift isn't _awesome_, I swear to _God_ –"

"Ta-dah!"

"Oh my God."

"You like him? I named him Spunky."

"What in the actual fuck."

"That is not Christmastime language, missy."

"You got me a _hamster_? And _pre-named_ him?"

"Aw, come on Jade, he's cute! Come here wittle Spunky-wunky!"

"You. Are. An. _Idiot_."

"Come pet him!"

"No. I will not touch that thing."

"Come on, Jade. What do you think, Spunky? You want to meet mommy Jade?"

"Barbeque him and then I'll _think_ about getting near it."

"Spunky does not appreciate you implying that you're going to eat him."

"I do not appreciate Spunky being a gift for me. I hate animals."

"You'll like Spunky. Come here, just pet him."

"No!"

"Come on, Jade, come pet little Spunky!"

"Get that thing away from me."

"Pet me, Jade."

"Stop using that weird ass voice. It's freaking me out. And no, I am still not going to pet him."

"But he's lonely."

"He'll be fine. He has you."

"You're going to leave him all alone-y on his own-y?"

"Beck, I hate you when you're around animals. You get all…_loving_."

"Jade, please pet Spunky. Please? For me?"

"Ugh."

"See? Isn't he soft?"

"…He's not…_awful_. For a little fur ball, that is."

"Ah, so you _do_ like him."

"Shut up."

"Jade loves Spunky! Jade loves Spunky!"

"Do not sing at me! And if we do keep this little rat, we're changing the name."

"And cause an identity crisis? I don't think so!"

"_Beck_."

"Okay, fine. But Spunky is his middle name."

"Jack The Ripper will not have the word '_spunky_' anywhere in or around his name, and that is final."

"Jack The Ripper? Really, Jade? For a _hamster_?"

"Better than _Spunky_. And Jack The Ripper likes it, so there."

(_nine_)

"Hey, Cat?" Robbie says unsurely from behind her. She's playing with her cotton candy machine on her own, Larry apparently having taken off to avoid her and her silliness for a little while.

"Oh, hey, Robbie!" Cat says, turning to him with a broad smile and shining eyes, "Thanks again for the Christmas present. It's so cool! Larry even taught me how to make cotton candy for myself before he ran off!"

Robbie chuckles, "Mind teaching me?"

"Come here!" Cat says, ushering him over. She turns her back to him and he leans over her shoulder, peering into the machine where there are pieces of leftover pink, fluffy clouds of candy. "First, you have to pour this stuff in…"

Robbie watches as she prepares her cotton candy and then, grinning, she turns and shows Robbie the switch, "Press that!"

Robbie does so, and the machine comes to life, spinning the cotton candy.

"Put your hand in it," Cat insists, putting her own inside and giggling, "It tickles!" She pulls it out and she has a mess of cotton candy wound around her arm. She pulls it off, laughing exuberantly as Robbie copies her, ending up with an armful of cotton candy, as well.

"It does tickle," he says, amused, picking a piece of cotton candy off of his arm, "So, Cat…about the kiss earlier..."

"Robbie."

"I know."

(_ten_)

When the doorbell rings at ten at night, the last person Tori expects to see is Beck Oliver standing there. However, there he is, wearing the same clothes he had gone to school in and running a hand through his unruly hair. She blinks once, twice, three times before she manages a small smile.

"Uh, hey," she says.

"Hey," he answers, his own grin broad and honest.

"What're you doing?" Tori asks, leaning against the doorframe, the doorknob clasped in her hand so the door doesn't open anymore than it already has.

"Uh…I'm not sure," he says, "I just…wanted to stop by, I guess." He doesn't meet her gaze, his eyes instead on the tree that Trina has finally gotten halfway together, sort of.

"Do you want to come in for cocoa?" Tori finally asks, smile playing on her lips.

"I really shouldn't. I'll end up falling asleep on your couch or something," Beck says with a chuckle, "I mean, I was just driving through, and…" he trails off, "I guess I just came to wish you goodnight."

Tori stares at him.

"So, uh, goodnight."

Finally, Tori laughs, shaking her head, "Beck Oliver, you are _weird_," she says good-naturedly, "But thanks. Goodnight. Drive safe," Tori tells him, smile still playing on the corner of her mouth, "And stay warm."

"You too," Beck says, lifting his hand in a small wave as he steps away from the door and heads towards the porch steps. He pauses before adding, "Sweet dreams."

Tori watches him go.

\

fin.

\

**a/n**: well, that was kind of cheesy. thanks for reading! **please review with more than "so cute!" or "i liked it!"**


End file.
